The World Photography Organisation is pleased to announce the category winners and shortlist in the Open competition of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024, recognising the best single images from across the world in 2023. More than 395,000 images from some 220 countries and territories were submitted.
to the Sony World Photography Awards 2024. Each category winner receives digital imaging equipment from Sony and will go on to compete for the prestigious Open Photographer of the Year title and a $5,000 prize.
The overall winner of the Open competition will be announced at the Awards’ ceremony in London on 18 April. Selected winning and shortlisted images will be shown as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House in the UK from April 19–May 6, 2024, and will then travel to additional locations.
What You'll See
This year you will enjoy a refreshed curatorial approach, bringing awe-inspiring photographs to life. The various presentations will showcase photographs printed and presented digitally to enhance your visual experience. Embark on an inspiring journey to uncover award-winning images of captivating wildlife, compelling portraiture, luscious landscapes, impressive architecture, striking street shots and moving documentary projects—plus more! Find yourself amazed by the world around you.
There will also be a solo presentation of work by 2023 Photographer of the Year Edgar Martins. As part of his prize, Martins wins an exclusive space at this year's Sony World Photography Awards exhibition; he has decided to present an extended series of his winning project Our War, giving visitors the chance to delve deeper into the story, which is a homage to Martins’ friend, photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.
Sebastião Salgado Outstanding Contribution to Photography
To celebrate Sebastião Salgado as this year's Outstanding Contribution to Photography recipient, there will be a collection of his most powerful black and white imagery. The curation highlights the key themes and milestones over the last five decades of his career and will feature works from his early projects such as Gold (1986) and Workers (1993), as well as more recent series like Genesis (2011) and Amazônia (2019).
The acclaimed Brazilian photographer will also be giving a special talk on April 19, 7pm at LSE, London. Enjoy an evening listening to Salgado sharing his insights into his unforgettable photographs and impressive projects.
The Sebastião Salgado Talk is now sold out!
The 10 category winners are:
ARCHITECTURE
Ana Skobe (Slovenia) for the image Falling Out of Time, depicting a lighthouse against a clear sky at dusk, its sleek, geometric design contrasting with the coastal landscape and a solitary figure.
CREATIVE
Rob Blanken (Netherlands) for his macro photograph of crystals of amino acids B-alanine, L-glutamine and glycine, showing the remarkable colors and textures contained within these complex structures.
LANDSCAPE
Liam Man (United Kingdom) for Moonrise Sprites over Storr, capturing the earliest moments of the rising moon and several drone lights over the Old Man of Storr hill on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Taken during a blizzard, this image was carefully executed just before the moonlight became too bright.
LIFESTYLE
Alvin Kamau (Kenya) for Twende Ziwani (Let’s go to the Lake), a studio photograph inspired by fashion photography, depicting a model striking a pose and looking out beyond the frame.
MOTION
Samuel Andersen (Norway) for Rider Getting Down and Dirty, an action-packed shot of a mountain bike rider passing through a muddy part of the course at the Norwegian National Championships in Hafjell Bike Park, splashing the camera lens.
NATURAL WORLD & WILDLIFE
Ian Ford (United Kingdom) for Caiman Crunch, a striking photograph of a jaguar attacking a caiman crocodile on the river bank. The photographer followed along as the jaguar stalked her prey, and caught the precise moment she pounced.
OBJECT
Toni Rinaldo (Indonesia) for Coalition, a meticulously composed image portraying two chairs in a waiting room. The photographer describes how the different colors of the chairs evoke the togetherness of different cultures existing side by side within Indonesian society.
PORTRAITURE
Michelle Sank (United Kingdom) for Zenande, Sinawe, Zinathi and Buhle at Sea Point Pavilion, Cape Town, depicting a group of teens on a day out at the swimming pool. The photographer considers the ways in which the city has changed since the end of apartheid, reflecting on the ways cultural and social diversity is now celebrated.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Callie Eh (Malaysia) for The Hand, which captures a fleeting moment from a wedding procession in Bhaktapur, Nepal. The groom is all but obscured, revealing only a waving hand through the passing car window.
TRAVEL
Yan Li (China Mainland) for Between Calm and Catastrophe, an image of a tranquil floating village standing on the still shore of Lake Titicaca, contrasted with the approaching peril of a wildfire on the nearby land mass.
Simon Farrell
Publisher, Custom Media
